Isaiah 28

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

Beware, proud and arrogant ones, especially the heavy drinkers of Ephraim! Your beauty, once radiant, is now a wilting flower. You, who reside in the lush valleys, are defeated by your own indulgence in wine!

Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

Look, God has a powerful force, like a fierce hailstorm or a devastating flood, that can sweep everything away and bring it crashing down to earth.

The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:

The arrogant and the intoxicated of Ephraim will be humbled and trampled upon.

And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

The stunning beauty of the lush valley, like a wilting flower, will fade away. It's like the early fruit of summer, quickly consumed by the one who picks it while it's still fresh in his hand.

In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,

On that day, the Lord Almighty will be a radiant crown, a stunning jewel, for the remaining of His people.

And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

He will be a spirit of justice for the one who sits in judgment, and strength for those who drive the battle back at the city gate.

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

They've lost their way, led astray by wine and strong drink. Even the priest and prophet have faltered, consumed by alcohol. Their vision is blurred, their judgment impaired.

For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

Every one of their tables is covered in vomit and filth; there isn't a clean spot left anywhere.

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

Who will be the ones to learn and comprehend His teachings? Those who have matured beyond their infancy, ready to digest more than just milk.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Learning must be step by step, rule by rule; building one idea upon another; understanding a bit here, and a bit there.

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

With hesitant speech and a foreign language, He will communicate with His people.

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

He told them, "This is the peace that can soothe the tired; this is the renewal." But they chose not to listen.

But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

So God's word to them will be just that: rule on rule, rule on rule, line on line, line on line, a little here and a little there, so that they will go on, fall backward, be broken, be trapped and be taken captive.

Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

Listen up, you arrogant leaders of Jerusalem, God has a message for you.

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

You claim to have struck a deal with death and hell, believing you're safe from life's storms. But you're mistaken, for you've sought shelter in lies and hidden beneath deceit.

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Thus declares the Lord God, "See, I place in Zion a tested, precious cornerstone for a solid foundation. Those who trust in it will find peace and won't rush in fear."

Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

I will make justice my measuring line and righteousness my plumb line. Hail will sweep away the refuge you built out of lies, and floodwaters will overwhelm your hiding place.

And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

Your pact with death will be broken, and your deal with hell won't hold. When disaster sweeps through, you'll be overwhelmed by it.

From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

Every time it comes, it will carry you away. Morning after morning it will sweep through, by day and by night. Just understanding the message will fill you with terror.

For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

The bed is too small for comfort, and the blanket too narrow for warmth.

For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.

Just as God rose up on Mount Perazim and showed his anger in the valley of Gibeon, he will rise again in anger to do his work, his strange work, and to carry out his act, his unusual act.

Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

So stop mocking, or your chains will grow heavier. For I have heard from the Lord, the God of armies, that destruction has been decreed upon the whole earth.

Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.

Listen closely, hear my voice; pay attention, understand my words.

Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

Does a farmer tirelessly work his fields all day just to plant seeds? Does he tirelessly break and turn over the soil?

When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

Once he has prepared the land, doesn't he spread the seeds of various plants, like fennel and cumin, then plant the main crops of wheat, barley, and rye in their designated areas?

For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.

His God gently guides him towards wisdom, and lovingly educates him.

For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

The delicate seeds aren't crushed with heavy tools, nor is a cart wheel rolled over the herbs. Instead, the seeds are gently knocked out with a stick, and the herbs are lightly hit with a rod.

Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

Grain is crushed for bread; it won't always be beaten, nor ground under the cart's wheel, nor trampled by horses.

This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

This too comes from the Lord of armies, whose advice is awe-inspiring and whose actions are unparalleled.